Reconciling named adults with the more ecologically important immature Chironomidae (Diptera)

In the 20th century two parallel classificatory systems developed for the Dipteran family Chironomidae – one Museum-based on the adult alone, the other derived by more ecologically-inclined students for the aquatic immature stages. In the past 30 years the two systems have been more-or-less reconciled, using total evidence approaches incorporating features of larvae, pupae and both sexes of adults. Developing the association between immature stages and named adults, has been slow, demanding either individual larval rearing, or serendipitious collections of pharates. More recently molecular data is allowing association through identical sequences in the different life-history stages. Thus we are associating austral Podonominae and Orthocladiinae, and some controversial Chironominaee. The monotypic podonomine genera Afrochlus Freeman and Zelandochlus Brundin are shown to have been based on autapomorphic adults, but belong within larger genera based on their sequence data and on their immature stage morphology. The placement of Nandeva and the identity of its long-sought larvae can be established based on conspecific sequences.